By: Thomas Dunne

The silver lining to the near-total stoppage of new course construction in the U.S. over the past couple of years has been that some of the top architects in the game have become available to fill their calendars with renovation work. Plenty of major resorts and private clubs have taken advantage of this time to set their courses in good stead for a new century of play. As an added benefit, in many cases clubs have seized the opportunity to also make their courses more sustainable, both financially and environmentally. Here are five layouts that completed noteworthy renovations in 2011, as well as five more we look forward to following as the new year unfolds.